Best Places to Elope in Upstate New York

Top 11 Locations for Upstate NY Elopement

SWELL & STONE / New York Outdoor Wedding & Adventure Elopement Photographer

Congrats! You just got engaged and now you’re looking for the best places to elope in New York. While there a variety of elopement packages for upstate NY, sometimes you want to build your own elopement with the help of a trusted photographer who knows exactly where to take you. The diverse and vast landscape of upstate New York happens to be one of the best places in the Northeast region and the country for elopements. From its incredible mountains and lakes to the stunning waterfalls and gorges, New York has so many options for those looking for a more adventurous wedding. Want to spread your search a little broader? Here’s my New England elopement guide. Or check out these if you’re looking for Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts.

New York is a huge state, so there are tons of options for incredible views. The further north and west you go you’ll find a little more seclusion, but some of the most incredible spots can be found just a few hours from New York City. So decide whether you’d like to get married with a waterfall backdrop, mountain views, or on a boat in the middle of a pristine lake. Regardless of what you choose, New York has something that will make your jaw drop in awe. Most places do require permitting of some sort for your ceremony. If you choose me as your photographer I help you walk through the process step by step and make sure you have the correct info for people to contact to get seamlessly through the process.

So if you’re looking for seclusion and views check out something like renting Whiteface Mountain summit for the occasion, or if you’d like to take advantage of stunning public lands for your elopement check out the Finger Lakes or the Catskills. Either way, get in touch and let’s start planning your dream elopement.

When planning an elopement, especially one in the summer months, it is always best to plan on a weekday. If you plan on having no guests, or just your immediate families, it is ultimately less expensive, plus easier to plan ceremonies with fewer crowds. Here are some of the best spots to elope in NY.

1. The Catskills

   The Catskills are only a few hours outside of New York City, making them a close getaway spot for city dwellers, but it’s easy to get immersed in nature here, with huge cascading waterfalls, great hikes, and crystal clear rivers and streams. One of the most notable places in this area is Kaaterskill Falls, which drops 231 feet into beautiful pools. It’s a free-hanging waterfall, so you can walk underneath it for a super unique vista. There are also great views from a viewing platform and from the top of the falls. Other amazing spots include the crystal clear waters of the Peakamoose area and beautiful hikes like Giant Ledge. Because of its proximity to NYC, it does get crowded on the weekends, and even some weekdays in the summer, but it is spectacular and as long as you plan your ceremony in the morning or on a weekday in the off-season you should be able to find some seclusion.

2. Minnewaska State Park

   This spot is also close to NYC making it crowded on the weekends. But if you can catch this area at the right time it’s one of the most stunning places for photos. The jagged cliff sides surrounding Lake Minnewaska with mountains in the background make for a truly epic photo op. Some of my favorite spots include Sam’s Point and Awosting Falls. This area is also just about an hour from Hawks Nest Highway, which is one of the most epic and scenic drives in America, especially in the fall.

3. The Finger Lakes

   From waterfalls that plunge 215 over rocky cliffs (making it the highest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains) to stunning gorges, lakes and mountains, there is something for everyone in the Finger Lakes. There are amazing viewing spots from the top of the falls, and one of them makes the perfect ceremony site. You do have to get a permit from the park system and hold your ceremony outside of peak days and hours, but the scenery hardly gets any better than this. I’m happy to help answer any questions about permitting in these locations because I’ve been through the process with couples before! You can also hike to the base of the falls here and take in all the magnificence from the bottom. It’s a little louder down before, but the images are worth it.

   The entire area is magical, and it looks more like Scotland than New York. Glaciers helped shaped the landscape during the Pleistocene era and created hanging valleys. There are dozens of waterfalls along miles of incredible trails, and some with stone walkways built into the canyon walls. It’s an incredible work of art by Mother Nature. The surrounding area is full of several other hanging valley’s that make up the region known as the “Finger Lakes”. There is a ton of fun outdoor activities to do in a small area, and cute towns dotted mostly at the southern end of the lakes. It’s a truly unique section of the country that deserved a few full days of exploring. Check out this gallery.

4. Whiteface Mountain

   Whiteface Mountain is a private resort that often hosts weddings and events during it’s after hours. The coolest part is that you could have the entire mountain summit to yourselves. The mountain summit is accessible via driving to the top and then taking up the elevator up a bit more. The incredible views looking out over the Lake Placid region with incredible views of the Adirondacks and Lake Placid itself. There is plenty of hiking around the mountaintop, and this is a perfect place to host a small outdoor wedding where you’d love to have some friends and family involved as well. If you’re into waterfalls as well and want both the mountain and waterfall experience, Whiteface mountain is close to High Falls Gorge- a spectacular 22 acre, privately owned nature park on the AuSable River that features several stunning waterfalls.

5. Rocky Mountain

   This short 1-mile round trip hike packs a lot of view for its short hike. It’s near Inlet, NY and the view overlooks the Adirondack Mountains and Fourth Lake. It’s a lovely spot if you’d like to have family and friends join, but don’t want them to have to hike very far. The view of the rolling mountains and the lake is great at any time of year, but especially in the fall. During the winter you and guests will need to use microspikes for hiking safety, but with some snow on the ground, it is a killer view for a short hike. Plus the crowds are likely to be thin.

6. Indian Head

   One of the most iconic views in the Adirondacks, this hike makes you work a bit for the views. It is a 9-mile round trip, but a good portion of it is on a relatively flat dirt road. Still, only take on this hike if you are in relatively good shape, and make sure your photographer can handle it, too. But the beauty of a longer hike is that the crowds are likely to be thinner by the time you arrive. This is a popular spot, but the area has a ton of hikes so the most difficult part is getting a parking spot at the trailhead. This is usually not a problem on a weekday. The reward is vast views of Lower Ausable Lake looking southwest. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset and the stars come out. Just make sure you bring a headlamp for the long hike out in the dark!

7. Adirondack Woodcrafts Camp

   Want the complete summer camp experience for your outdoor wedding? Adirondack Woodcrafts Camp is the spot for that! The 250-acre property which encompasses two pristine lakes and borders the winding Moose river. It is in an area far away from any light pollution, so the starry night skies are incredible. They have a dining hall and a lodge that make for the perfect indoor/outdoor wedding experience. You can canoe on their private lake, hike the trails on the grounds, and even rent bikes if you’d like. This is the spot for you if you’d like all your friends and family to be able to join you in the outdoor adventures over the course of a whole weekend.

8. Garnet Hill Lodge

   Garnet Hill Lodge has a ton of options for scenic ceremony sites. From secluded hikes on the grounds to canoes and kayaks that are free for use when staying with them, this place takes care of a variety of wants and needs for eloping couples. You can rent out the lodge and host your small outdoor wedding on the back lawn with boasts incredible views of the Adirondack Mountains and Thirteenth Lake with easy access and nice accommodations for guests. The reception can be catered by the restaurant and they have incredible homemade pies. Or you can elope by hiking to one of the more scenic spots on the property. One of the hikes becomes shorter by taking a canoe short cut across the lake- talk about a fun, multi-activity shortcut! Check out this gallery.

9. Letchworth State Park

   Letchworth State Park is known as the “Grand Canyon of the East” and for good reason. The park is 17 miles long, following the Genesee River as it flows north through a deep gorge and over several large waterfalls. If you like waterfalls, especially big ones, this might be your place. There is also a hot air balloon tour company, called Balloons Over Letchworth, so if riding a hot air balloon over an incredibly scenic area sounds like your kind of adventure day, this is the place for you. The best times of year to visit are summer and fall, but the park is open year round and is absolutely astonishing in any season.

10. Heart Lake

    This spot near Lake Placid has gorgeous views, a short hike, and private cabins run by the Adirondack Mountain Club at the base where you can stay. An added bonus is that you can paddle around their canoes and kayaks on the lake for additional fun and photo ops. Find out more info here.

Whether you’re from New York, New England, or somewhere else, NY is an incredible place to elope or have a small outdoor wedding. From epic mountain destinations to lush forests, lakes, and rivers, there are a lot of options to host the perfect outdoor elopement getaway. So if hiking to a stunning free hanging waterfall, summiting mountains, or paddling a lake or river sounds like your idea of a great elopement day, get in touch. I don’t just take a small outdoor wedding and elopement photos. I help you plan your perfect, adventurous day from beginning to end.

Stylish NYC Couple Elope in Upstate New York

Emma & LA Finger Lakes Region Upstate NY Elopement

Swell & Stone / Adventure Wedding Photographer / New York & Beyond

When Emma & LA first reached out they knew they wanted to elope somewhere in Upstate New York, but they weren’t exactly sure where. After they filled out some info for me and I sent them a location guide with custom spots picked out based on their preferences, they decided the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York felt the most like them. Emma wanted winter vibes, but with the feeling of spring in the air, and the weather cooperated in the best way. They had a lovely day for their actual elopement, with snow still on the ground and a slight, but no too biting chill in the air. The next day all the snow melted off and they enjoyed the rest of the week in the Finger Lakes in relative warmth!

They both really connected with Watkins Glen, a gorgeous spot with stone pathways through an unreal granite river gorge. The first time I saw it many years ago I thought it looked like it belonged in Scotland. During the winter the lower paths are not open, but the top footpaths are open. We found a lovely lookout for them to say their vows, followed by more exploration on foot. They enjoyed a picnic and some champagne, and then we headed to the next location. A top-secret gorge with a beautiful frozen waterfall.

After all the hiking we headed back to their lodging to warm up and were met by a private chef who was busy creating their elopement celebration dinner. Emma headed outside to light the fire while LA made them hot toddies. They carried the steamy drinks outside, enjoyed the fire, and played a game of frisbee together, one of their favorite activities. The snow didn’t bother either of them at all. Instead, they basked in the beauty of it all. The opened letters from family and enjoyed the incredible sunset from the yard that was perfectly positioned to watch it go down. Each course of the custom-picked dinner was incredible and they took time somewhere in the middle to have their first dance on the patio, and then to watch the stars come out as the alpenglow faded. It was a perfect day, and when I left them that night, they both seemed very content and happy to be exactly where they were.

One of my favorite things about Emma and LA was their sense of humor- and I loved hearing their engagement story where things didn’t go quite to plan as they did on their elopement day. In LA's words.

“In July of 2020 I flew over to the UK so that we could spend some time together after having been apart since the start of the pandemic. By this point, I had already gotten Emma’s parents’ blessing for the proposal. We had planned a vacation in Cornwall, a place Emma’s family went for beach holidays during her childhood. I knew that Emma loves the beach and the ocean, so I thought that would be a great place to propose.

Now I’m someone who usually likes to plan things meticulously and not “wing it”, especially in something as serious as this. But due to the pandemic, traveling to places I’ve never been before, and also being together 24/7, there was a massive number of unknown variables to deal with. So I had to take a lot of things in stride, and relinquish control. One huge thing was that I didn’t know when (or where) the ring would arrive. The good thing was that the holiday itself was so gorgeous and so much fun, it was easy to have a great time with Emma — despite the undercurrent of stress bubbling below the surface. We were in a beautiful old seaside town called Mousehole, and the pandemic and all worries seemed like universes away.

Looking back, the amount of things that didn’t go to plan was actually comedy. The day before I had tried to sneak off and buy mini champagne bottles while Emma was in the bathroom. She found them almost immediately. The ring hadn’t arrived, and even if it had, I don’t know if FedEx would have found the house we were staying in because of the tiny unmarked roads. I had planned for bouquets of flowers to be delivered after lunch (after we got back from the beach and the planned proposal). Instead, the flowers announced themselves through the doorbell in the middle of breakfast. Flabbergasted and unable to come up with any false explanation, I just received them — each subsequent bouquet bigger than the last. Emma, clearly knowing what was up, had even put on a white dress and everything.

Eventually, we got to the beach and got changed into our swimming gear and wetsuits to go bodyboarding in the ocean. We ended up having an amazing day full of waves, ice cream, and frisbee.

As we were wrapping up I pretty much coerced Emma to go on a walk to a secluded cliffside that overlooked the beach, one that I had scoped out and marked in my head earlier. We were already late for a dinner appointment, so for me to suggest “going for a walk” was not at all suspicious, but Emma played along nonetheless. When we got to a really nice spot that was away from people and I was happy with, I took a knee (for a second time, because I took a knee earlier without thinking, to pose for a photo), took Emma’s hand, and fumbled through some sentences I’d rehearsed the night before while unable to fall asleep. Without an actual ring, I proposed with a ring made out of tree bark that Emma had made almost a month earlier in the trip. She said it was something she did as a child, and she had left the tree bark ring behind one day after breakfast. Instinctively I kept it, just in case.

Luckily she said yes. We took selfies with the tree bark ring on the cliffside overlooking the beach and cracked open the mini bottles of champagne. I was ecstatic and relieved and we were so late for our dinner appointment. We took a stroll in the beautiful seaside town of Port Isaac to have our first picnic as fiancées. The food was delicious.”

Now that’s an incredible story and I love that they are able to roll with whatever happens to them in life. But of LA’s sake, I’m very happy that their elopement day went off without a hitch.

Elegant Small Wedding in the Adirondacks, Upstate New York | Upstate NY Wedding Photographer

Esti & Derek’s 2-Day Adventure Wedding in the Adirondacks

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / NEW YORK & BEYOND

Welcome to Day Two of Esti & Derek’s epic micro-wedding in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Go HERE TO SEE DAY ONE of their incredible and colorful fall elopement. I’m beyond ecstatic that they chose me to be their Upstate NY small wedding photographer.

For Day Two Derek and Esti celebrated with family on an incredibly private beautiful lake with two cabins and private land bordering Adirondack Park near Lake George. The cabins were stunning and there were a variety of boats for the enjoyment of everyone attending to use. Day Two was a much warmer day than their elopement day, which worked out perfectly because it was super comfortable to hang outside for most of the day. However, a thunderstorm was threatening to strike, but ultimately never materialized, which left us with great temps and happy and dry wedding guests!

Esti had the help of her sisters and mother to get ready, and it was so fun to see two different sides of her incredible style play out. The happy couple shared another first look, and then we moved into family portraits. The backdrop at this location was really striking, so it was fun to take photos on the hill above the lake and the dock. After all family portraits were complete, Esti and Derek decided they needed to paddle a canoe on both days, so they headed out in the canoe to the private island in the middle of the lake. The fall colors were a little less bright than the location that we were at the day before, but it made for a beautiful early fall scene. Derek’s dad was a little concerned when Esti jumped out of the boat with bare feet to pull the canoe up for Derek, but of course she had done the same thing the day before!

They began the ceremony in the early afternoon, which was stunning and sweet, and seeing their families smiles made me think that you can have it all- an epic adventure elopement with just the two of you, and a celebration with those closest to you.

After the ceremony came the cocktail hour. As the sun sank low over the lake Esti’s dad made a toast and the families celebrated into the evening.

Adirondack Mountain Elopement with Awe-Inspiring Fall Views

Esti & Derek’s 2-Day Canoe Adventure Elopement in the Adirondacks

SWELL & STONE / ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER / NEW YORK & BEYOND

I had to spilt up Esti & Derek’s EPIC two-day elopement in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York into two posts because, to be honest, there are too many amazing moments and photos over the two days to share in just one post. So this is day one- you can FIND DAY TWO HERE. Not only do Esti and Derek have impeccable style, but our timing for the fall colors was spot on, and the location they ended up choosing was perfect and secluded. I’m beyond ecstatic that they chose me to be their Upstate NY elopement photographer.

When Esti and Derek reached out they had a general idea of what they were looking for in terms of location, but they really began to narrow it down after I sent them their custom location guide. We knew they wanted an incredible mountain summit and it wouldn’t hurt if canoeing on a lake was involved, so I suggested a super unique option- canoeing to the trailhead of an epic mountain summit.

The day started with a very early morning wake up. Esti’s hair and makeup artist was wrapping up when I arrived at 6 am. We had their first look on the grounds, and then we headed out for a sunrise canoe ride. The color on the leaves was spectacular, and it was going to be a beautiful day, but the sunrise canoe was chilly, and frost lingered on the grass as we pulled the canoe into the water. After the sun hit their faces and things thawed out a bit we packed up our gear and headed across the lake to the trailhead. We had 6.5 miles of hiking ahead of us, and the last section of the hike is straight up, and really more of a scramble than a hike. Esti wore her wedding dress for the first, flat-ish part of the hike, and then took it off before the steep section. She had white leggings under her dress, so all she had to do was slip on a warm shirt and jacket and she was ready for the hard part.

After reaching the summit and checking out the views we scoped out a spot for their private vow exchange. I was able to stay a little higher on the summit to give them some space, but still capture all the emotion during their beautiful and heartfelt vow exchange. There were tears and laughter and joy, and after it was all said and done they celebrated with champagne!

“I love Esti's passion for learning and teaching others, love of adventure (traveling, hiking, and camping), professional drive and determination in the field of Pathology, creative side (painting, singing, and dancing), and ability to motivate everyone around her to pursue their dreams,” said Derek.

“I love Derek's caring and warm nature, his goofiness (always cracking jokes, making up songs about our cats, sending me memes to make me laugh), and his willingness to try new things (trekking in high altitude, trying caviar or snails (ew! haha), skiing). As someone who loves to try new things, it's really fun to have Derek there with me willing to look like a fool as we try new things together! I also love his practical side - cooking great meals, fixing things that are broken, and just getting things done in general. I always have a million ideas in my mind and it's awesome to have a partner who can help me follow through with these ideas,” said Esti.

They shared stories of their amazing travels, and it was so much fun to learn all the things they had done together. When two people are in a canoe together, you really learn about their ability to be a team, and Esti and Derek worked seamlessly as a team, and if they ever veered in the wrong direction they took a second to recalibrate and begin again.

On the hike down we relaxed and made miles. It was a long and joyful day and we still needed to canoe across the lake. We reached our canoe with about an hour until sunset and made the nice, easy paddle back across the lake. After hauling up the canoe Derek and Esti stood, arms wrapped around each other, and watched the sun sink below the mountain. I mentioned that we could go up the hill to where I was staying to watch a better view of the sunset, so we headed up that way. They danced in the field as the sun sank low, and then eventually settled onto a blanket, finding the perfect, comfy spots to lean on, and watched the sun go behind the mountains again. The perfect ending to the epically adventurous and wonderful day.